What to do with Stevan Ridley?

[RobertWeathers]

Maybe, but why are we assuming Benny/Woodhead/Faulk all won't be effective? Ridley is the last resort.

BJGE is a straight line runner and not elusive.

Woodhead is not a great tackle breaker

Faulk is a bit long in the tooth.

 

[pwes]

Get Hernandez in the backfield. Seemed to work last week.

 

[Patspsycho]

He has fumbled twice. The fumbles came in consecutive games, but that doesn't necessarily mean he has a "tendency" to fumble. I've looked into it and I can't find any record of him coughing up the ball in college. I would be wary of using Ridley because BJGE is without a doubt the safer choice, but that doesn't mean he should be wiped off the gameplan completely.

LSU running back Stevan Ridley's good performance was almost ruined by the fumbles | NOLA.com

Ridley did have fumbling issues in college. He fumbled the ball twice in this game.

 

[Patspsycho]

Give him the ball, fumbles be damned!

BJGE isn't even going to get across the line of scrimmage against these guys. Yates was able to make something happen against the Bmore secondary because Foster was gashing them up front. If we let them drop 8 and tee off on the edge, we're done. We need a real running threat against this defense, not BJGE.

Your hatred of BJGE is pretty obvious.

Fumbles be damed? In an AFCC game, especially against Baltimore? Really?

 

[MSU]

Those 2nd and 3rd round picks the Patriots spent on RBs are really paying dividends. I wouldn't be shocked if they spent another high pick on RB this draft. The biggest run of the season was from our TE... fail.

 

[Kid~Brady]

Your hatred of BJGE is pretty obvious.

Fumbles be damed? In an AFCC game, especially against Baltimore? Really?

Yeah, I agree. I know what Ridley brings but is that worth a key turnover? Right now we are going to need to score as many points as possible and win the turnover battle.

We go with Benny and Woodhead this game with a twist of Faulk for pass blocking

 

[JackBauer]

Your hatred of BJGE is pretty obvious.

Fumbles be damed? In an AFCC game, especially against Baltimore? Really?

Since when does acknowledging BJGE's patent limitations equate to hatred of the guy?

 

[JackBauer]

Those 2nd and 3rd round picks the Patriots spent on RBs are really paying dividends. I wouldn't be shocked if they spent another high pick on RB this draft. The biggest run of the season was from our TE... fail.

So you don't think that Ridley looks like a promising player? And you don't agree that the jury is wholly out on Vereen?

I guess this is further evidence that some fans will find anything to whine about, no matter how inane and insignificant.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

My prediction before the playoffs was that BJGE will be the primary carrier and starter, then switch to Ridley if the O struggles or just to spell BJGE every now and then. That's what it looked like in the Denver game as Ridley barely got any meaningful action.

I think it will stay that way though I would like to see more Ridley because I think BJGE is still bothered by the toe injury. Everyone seemed 100% effective but him, kind of worried.

 

[JJDChE]

Your hatred of BJGE is pretty obvious.

Fumbles be damed? In an AFCC game, especially against Baltimore? Really?

I don't hate BJGE. I like him. But I've also watched him play this season...so there's that.

2.5 ypc in the last six games against avg/bad rush defenses (except Miami) and now we're going up against the #1 rush defense in the NFL. You can't expect to give Green-Ellis the ball in this game and get anything productive.

IMO, you either abandon the run completely, except a few shotgun draws/delays with Woodhead, or you give Ridley the ball until he fumbles it. Giving BJGE carries in this game is almost pointless.

 

[Double TE]

Give him all the fourth quarter carries to kill the clock. We'll be up 35-13 by then anyway.

 

[Marqui]

I still think they should give Ridley another chance since he's actually athletic enough to make some impact plays. BJGE is going to be so useless against the Ravens.

 

[patfanken]

Most of you guys are wuss's and ****ies. You play your best players in the biggest games. Do you sit Brady because he's had trouble this year with picks. You know he had a big one last week, and an big one in the playoffs last year. I guess you can't trust him. Maybe we should sit Hernandez. Hasn't he had trouble with drops this year? and wasn't Welker among the league leaders in drops last season, so maybe we should sit him as well.

Ridely had over 80 snaps before he had his first fumble. RBs fumble and that's a fact and except for BJGE ALL of them do it. Tom Coughlin isn't going to sit Ahmad Bradshaw just because he fumbled 8 times last season or Brandon Jacobs who fumbled 3 times this season. I suppose you'd sit Adrian Peterson if we had him because hed 2 years where he fumbled more than 8 times. Or maybe if you guys were coaching we wouldn't have to worry about Ray Rice playing because he'd be sitting because he lost 2 fumbles this year

BOTTOM LINE here is, if BB determines that Ridely's running skills gives the Pats the best chance to win the game, he IS NOT going let those 2 fumbles scare him from putting him on the field.

BB is no *****...unlike some fans

 

[JJDChE]

Arian Foster fumbled 6 times in the regular season, one every 55 touches. The Texans should have traded for BJGE and started him instead.


EDIT: Exactly, Ken.

 

[Patspsycho]

I don't hate BJGE. I like him. But I've also watched him play this season...so there's that.

2.5 ypc in the last six games against avg/bad rush defenses (except Miami) and now we're going up against the #1 rush defense in the NFL. You can't expect to give Green-Ellis the ball in this game and get anything productive.

IMO, you either abandon the run completely, except a few shotgun draws/delays with Woodhead, or you give Ridley the ball until he fumbles it. Giving BJGE carries in this game is almost pointless.

Please don't give me that. You have NEVER had anything positive to say about BJGE.

FWIW, I don't think we'll run that much in the Ravens game anyway- we'll be doing a lot of hurry up out of the spread formation, the same way we did it against them in '10.

 

[Betterthanmost]

I feel for the kid, he is good, flashy, but BB does not hate fumbling backs, he cuts them.

 

[JackBauer]

I feel for the kid, he is good, flashy, but BB does not hate fumbling backs, he cuts them.

He does? Like whom?

 

[JJDChE]

Please don't give me that. You have NEVER had anything positive to say about BJGE.

FWIW, I don't think we'll run that much in the Ravens game anyway- we'll be doing a lot of hurry up out of the spread formation, the same way we did it against them in '10.

That's not true at all. He ran well last year and at the early part of this year. He's a good goalline back and it's obviously good that he never fumbles. He's just not the long term answer and he's struggled mightily, as of late. If he had been playing as well as he did last year coming into this game, I'd definitely sit Ridley, but he's not. He's completely ineffective right now.

 

[JJDChE]

He does? Like whom?

Like Faulk, remember? Oh, wait...

 

[Betterthanmost]

He does? Like whom?

I actually can't think of anyone, but just watching the "life of a coach" thing and you could just feel how he sees fumbling.
So I don't have any precedence to report.